Endorsement: Wyckoff for Lake County clerk
Voters will choose from two candidates with vastly different backgrounds to replace retiring Lake County Clerk Willard Helander. Waukegan Democrat Janet Kilkelly, 61, is a Waukegan Park District commissioner and former Waukegan Township trustee. Carla Wyckoff, 66, a Lake Forest Republican, has no elected experience, but she is a Lake County assistant state's attorney who has been the primary liaison with the clerk's office for more than a decade. Both identified the need to increase voter participation as an important issue facing the office, and each offers ideas for involving high school students. We endorse Wyckoff because of her experience in working with the office and its staff, and her knowledge of election laws that dictate the office's operation. That knowledge gives her the ability to respond to important statutory changes that will likely occur in the future. Wyckoff said those changes could further expand registration and voting opportunities. They also are likely to require changes to the software and technology used by the clerk's office in the election process. We believe Wyckoff's skills will allow for a smooth transition in this important office, especially with a large municipal election looming next spring.